Brief description of call: South Sudan, the world’s newest country, is rich in natural resources and officially encourages foreign direct investment. In recent years South Sudan has made some progress in opening its market to foreign companies.

In 2013, South Sudan, an AGOA eligible country, opened a One Stop Shop designed to provide a single stopping point for acquiring licenses and certificates, paying relevant fees, and obtaining export and import related information. Principal economic activities open to investment include: crop production, livestock rearing, tourism, fishing/fish farming, trade, lumbering, oil production, quarrying, provision of services. Ambassador Page and her Economic team will provide an overview of the challenges and opportunities for U.S. companies seeking to trade and invest in South Sudan.

While challenges do exist, OPIC has declared itself “open for business in South Sudan,” and the U.S. Government has expressed its full support for economic development. The U.S. Embassy in South Sudan co-chaired a Steering Committee that organized the South Sudan Investment Conference on December 4 and 5 in Juba, South Sudan.